Unpublished Graduate School Work
The lifesaving power of communicating the scientific process
False balance in science writing can have unintended, deadly consequences. There’s never a bad time to reflect on your reporting practices.
Unvaccinated and forgotten at home: The audio version
As mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics close throughout the Treasure Coast of Florida, homebound residents feel forgotten and mobile medical providers still need shots.
Museum exhibit writing: Botanical reflections
Lindsey Leake writes a museum exhibit blurb for a “Red Congo” philodendron (Philodendron “Rojo Congo”) she saw at McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach, Fla.
COVID-19 story tip: Convalescent plasma may be effective therapy for treating coronavirus
Nearly a month into the COVID-19 pandemic, neither preventative treatment for people exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that triggers the disease, nor therapy for those who go on to contract the disease itself exists.
Tip sheet: Climate impacts human speech
Cold, arid environments, compared to warm, humid climates, negatively influence phonation in human tonal languages by restricting vocal cord movement and control, a PNAS study finds.
Slippery friends: An essay
It was a Friday night the first time Lindsey Leake found a lizard in her apartment. Aug. 9, 2019, to be exact.
Why more major hurricanes are in the forecast than usual
The 2020 hurricane season will be more active than usual; more named storms will form than in recent decades, and the United States and Caribbean face increased probabilities of major hurricanes making landfall. This is the outlook envisaged by the Tropical Meteorology Project at Colorado State University.
Warming climate breeds more female sea turtles, FAU researcher says
FAU’s Jeanette Wyneken used a simple expression to convey the effect of temperature on sea turtle sex: “Hot chicks, cool dudes.” That is, warmer temperatures in underground nests yield more females; cooler nests produce more males.
Mississippi librarians fight back in nationwide effort as White House again proposes nixing federal library funding
Federal money makes up a meager portion of public library income in the Magnolia State, but literacy advocates say its erosion puts vulnerable communities in peril.
Audio story: The 1989 ‘World Series earthquake’ in San Francisco
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the quake triggered between $6 billion and $10 billion in property damage.
Burying tradition: Female funeral directors now dominate historically male profession
For centuries, funeral homes have been passed down from father to son. That trend has met its demise.
One for the books
As the Institute of Museum and Library Services receives another stay of execution, a Virginia librarian illustrates the vital need for federal library funding.
Indian-American Catholics flock to Basilica in annual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni
The Indian American Catholic Association hosted the 21st Annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni. Hundreds traveled through a late summer downpour to congregate at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
Virginia viticulture: Winemaking ripens in the Old Dominion
Great grapes don’t just come from Napa Valley. Virginia’s internationally acclaimed wines are driving sales and boosting tourism.
Inaugural Arlington Bunny Hop 5K raises over $20K for area homeless population
From start to finish, organizers agreed the inaugural Arlington Bunny Hop 5K Charity Fun Run/Walk was a success.
‘Requiem for a King’: MLK honored through song at NMAAHC
Darin Atwater’s Soulful Symphony took the stage at the National Museum of African Amerian History and Culture to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Hundreds of artisans fill Dulles Expo Center for springtime Sugarloaf Crafts Festival
The first Sugarloaf Crafts Festival was held 42 years ago, in the spring of 1976 in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Buzzword or bee-killer? Checking up on the state of Colony Collapse Disorder
“There’s a lot of things that bees do that are just kind of miraculous,” said John Klapperich, co-owner of The Bee Store in Lake Ridge, Virginia.
The flying Dutchman
Raymond de Haan, assistant chief flight instructor at Aviation Adventures in Leesburg, Virginia, is an Amsterdam native whose call sign is "Dutchman."
This Virginia ghost hunter hasn’t been spooked — yet
“Is that you, Mary?” Lori Miars probed, stooping in front of the crooked, weathered tombstone.